As Australia’s storm season begins its rapid approach, experts are warning homeowners to be prepared and clean out their gutters or risk the danger of significantly damaging the foundations of their home.

With severe storms occurring more frequently in Australia than any other natural hazard, and storm damage costing the nation in excess of $284 million per annum experts say few realise the damage over flowing storm water can do to the actual foundations of a home until it’s too late.

“Most homeowners don’t really think about their gutters in the lead up to storm season and many unfortunately learn the hard way,” says Tom Gray, owner of leading Australian gutter guard business Gumleaf Gutter Protection.

“There’s a limit to how much rainfall a home can cope with but unfortunately so few people realise this until it’s too late. It’s devastating to see this when you know how easy this problem is to prevent,” he says.

After eight years in the industry Mr Gray knows firsthand the extreme damage that storms can cause having dealt with many devastated homeowners. He explains that one of the major problems is that water from overflowing gutters cause cracks in the walls which are often irreparable and result in the house then being unsafe to live in.

Mr Gray says it is “imperative” that excessive water be appropriately channeled away from the foundations of a home and stresses that preventative measures taken before the onset of the storm season are the key to avoiding the inevitable heartbreak.

“Gutters will often block at the top of the downpipe,” explains Mr Gray, “and periodic cleaning will not eliminate this problem. It’s really vital that a gutter protection is installed to stop the downpipes from blocking in the first place. I have seen so many homes excessively destroyed by water damage when simple preventative measures could have fixed the problem at a fraction of the cost. It’s too late once the storm has arrived. The key is to be prepared before it’s too late.”

Gutters are often neglected by homeowners who do not realise the many ways clogged up leaves could damage their home including sparking house fires, causing water damage and even spreading disease.

Mr Gray’s company, Gumleaf Gutter Protection has been helping keep Australian households protected from the extreme weather conditions with a product proven for over twelve years and Mr Gray advises that a strong, long lasting gutter guard is the best preventative measure to invest in for your home before storm season.

“Homeowners need to either install, or have fitted, gutter guard made from strong BlueScope steel that allows water to run off of it and prevents leaves and debris from piling up,” says Mr Gray.

“Damage from overflowing gutters is so easily preventable. It takes less time and money to install a good gutter guard than it would to fix your house from water damage.”